Settop Boxes are designed in general to receive TV signals via broadband media such as satellite transmissions and cable connections. Because of the broad bandwidth of TV signals, Settop Boxes such as a DirecTV.TM. Settop Box have the capability for receiving data at high transmission rates. This capability is largely unused in other applications because of the singular application, concerning TV reception, accorded Settop Boxes. These applications use TV specific data compression techniques directed specifically to TV transmission and hence data transmission per se is not normally thought of as an application for the Settop Box.